I could change my life to better suit your mood
by DuRiechstSoGut98
Summary: Layla Gallenus has stepped into the realm of Shivering Isles, unknown of what lies before her. Will she wither and go insane like the others, or will she prevail and find a reward at the end for her grievances?
1. A Strange Door

"The madness! It isn't right! It isn't right!" A dunmer screamed on his knees.

I cocked an eyebrow at the strange man, not understanding the madness that spewed from his mouth.

"I'll kill you all!" He screamed, charging straight for me.

Before thinking properly, I drew my steel longsword and plunged it deep into the man's stomach. He gurgled and mumbled something, then fell to the ground, dead.

"Care to explain?" I cooly asked the guard while sheathing my weapon.

He sighed and rubbed his face, looking down at the dunmer.

"Anyone that's gone in there," He pointed at the strange door. "Hasn't come out right. Their brains are addled and they come out like this, all crazy."

I nodded and flipped a strand of heather grey hair out of my face, noticing a somewhat shady Khajiit skulking around the small island.

I wasn't old, not in the least bit. I was only twenty eight years of age, but with all the battles The Gods have taken me through, and the ones that I started myself, my hair just prematurely greyed out.

It all started actually when I started doing quests for Martin and Jauffre. I knew Jauffre knew, but he didn't say anything. Martin would always frown and say "I'm sorry for doing this to you, my friend."

Martin was long gone, somewhat destroyed by Mehrunes Dagon. Even though there was no love between us, I missed him. I think he had a thing for me, but that's just random thoughts.

"Okay, I'm heading in." I finally said, feeling a little bold.

"Go right ahead." The guard scoffed. "I'm here to warn folks, not keep them out. I'll be here to clean up the mess when you come back."

I rolled my eyes at the guard's comment. I saw the destruction of my best friend, I was sure I could handle a few crazy people. I took a deep breath, closed my eyes and stepped through the portal, unsure of what laid before me.

To my amazement, it was simply a room. A room with a ticking clock, a book, a table and two chairs, one of which was occupied by a sarcastic, dry looking man.

"Please take a seat." He said rather boredly and gestured to the chair.

I nodded and sat down, unsure of what he was going to ask me.

"I presume you're here about the door?" He asked.

"Yes, I'd like to know why it's here." I replied, relaxing a little.

The man sighed. Obviously every person here has asked that question.

"It's here because my Lord wills it to be. He has broken no pact, no one is injured."

"What about the people outside?" I asked, slightly rude.

"They were ill-prepared and now their minds are the property of my Lord Sheogorath."

Sheogorath. That name sounded familiar, but why?

"Can they be cured?" I asked, worried about the Khajiit outside.

Suddenly the man's once stoic face turned into one of shock.

"Cured? You speak as if they are diseased."

I sighed, knowing this was going nowhere.

"What's your name?" I asked, knowing it was rude to ask before giving your own name.

"I am Haskill, Chamberlain to my Lord Sheogorath, now who might you be?" He asked, looking up from a book.

"My name is Layla Gallenus." I replied smoothly.

Haskill nodded and mumbled something about Sheogorath needing a mortal to act as his champion and that I would probably succeed in this.

"Talk to me again when you've made up your mind." He said dully, leaving me to my thoughts.

Why had Sheogorath's name sounded so tantalizingly familiar? It was so close, but everytime I thought about it, it slipped from my mind like water. I'm sure this is Sheogorath's doing, so I'll simply ask Haskill.

"Haskill, what exactly is Sheogorath?"

He blinked as if I had been living under a rock.

"Lord Sheogorath is the Prince of Madness, Lord of the Never-There."

AH HA! Prince of Madness! That was it!

"Okay." I said after some careful thinking.

"Okay what?" Haskill asked, folding his hands on his lap.

"I want to go in."

Haskill sighed lightly. "Very well, just beyond that door is the realm of Lord Sheogorath, you'll want to journey to Passwall, just before the Gates of Madness. Oh, and mind the Gatekeeper. He dislikes strangers in the realm."

I winced at the thought of 'Gatekeeper' and 'dislikes strangers'. Oh well, just another obstacle.

"Enjoy your stay." Haskill said and disappeared behind the door.

I was unsure of whether to follow him or not, so I decided to stay seated. As I gazed at the walls, they burned away into thousands of the most beautiful purple butterflies I've ever seen in my life, letting the dying red sun leak into the room. I watched as the last purple butterfly flutter away, and decided to head on my first course: Passwall.


	2. The Calling

I walked along the rock path, gazing at the beautiful scenery.

"This is nothing like Cyrodiil.." I said aloud as yet another baliwog scratched my boot with his teeth.

I sighed and sunk my blade into his skull, detaching it, and walking away, shaking off the blood.

My copper-brown eyes lit up as a I saw a somewhat more fitting enemy. He had his back turned to me, so I skulked along, carefully withdrawing my blade and stabbing it in the spine, covering its mouth so it wouldn't draw any unwanted attention.

"Beautiful!" I cried proudly as the creature fell dead to the ground.

I picked up its cudgel and continued on my way to Passwall, noticing I did not have far to go. I saw the tall buildings within minutes, and knew that I must be at my location. A redgard with an afro came to greet me with a torch.

"Greetings!" He said cheerfully, shaking my hand.

"Ermm..hello." I replied and gingerly shook his hand.

"Welcome to Passwall! I'm Sheldon, the mayor. I've been here the longest, and I'll be the last."

I nodded and looked around.

"Yes, my name is Layla Gallenus and I'm looking for the Gatekeeper."

Sheldon turned around and pointed to many flights of stairs.

"Right up those stairs. He's about to take care of a group of adventurers. You should go watch. It's really quite fun."

I nodded and followed Sheldon up the stairs and to a clearing with two doors on either side with a statue of what I assumed to be Sheogorath. A group of adventurers decked out in steel armor attacked this..monstrosity of a being. The creature must have stood over two stories high with a giant mace for an arm. In a few short swings, the adventurers were being thrown across the clearing with the orc captain running for his life. He bumped into me roughly, and turned around.

"That creature is too much!" He cried. "Killed all my men! Get out of my way!"

"Sheesh.." I mumbled. "You could at least use manners."

I looked back at the Gatekeeper and realized I was going to need a lot of help in order to defeat it.

"For the love of Azura.." I mumbled under my breath as I made my way back into Passwall to talk to anyone who might know of some way to kill the Gatekeeper.

"I hear that Jayred ice-veins also wants to kill the Gatekeeper. You should seek him out." A villager replied when I asked her about someone who would know anything.

I nodded and made my way to his house and knocked on the door, remembering the manners my dear sister, Rosentia, taught me.

"It's open." A gruff voice said from the other side.

"Hello." I greeted softly.

The man turned around and I noticed then that he was a nord. He had dark brown hair and brilliant blue eyes. He was practicing with his bow.

"I hear you're looking to kill the Gatekeeper." I said, setting my sword and shield down.

"Yes, and rumor has it that you are too."

"That's correct sir."

"Excellent. If you're any good with a lock pick, you can pick the lock of the Gardens of Flesh and Bone. From there, I can take the bones of the former Gatekeeper and make some arrows out of them."

"Just out of curiosity, why do you want to get into the Gates of Madness?" I asked.

"I can hear the bones calling to me, from the other side. I know the Gatekeeper has the keys, so that is why we must kill him."

"I see." I replied. "Let's go get those bones now."

He nodded and put his bow away, charging out the door. I grabbed my sword and shield and followed suit, running up hills and turns and finally stopping at the gates of the Gardens of Flesh and Bone.

"Hurry and pick the lock." Jayred said feverishly. "I can hear the bones calling to me."

I rolled my eyes and picked the lock with ease. Jayred hurried inside and I could hear him cracking the ribs of the former Gatekeeper. I winced as he came back, dropping marrow along the way.

"Meet me at my house in a few hours. I'll make arrows out of these and we can go and kill the Gatekeeper."

I nodded as three skeletons followed him out. I sighed in frustration at the fact that he left me to deal with them./I cut them down fairly easily and walked back to Jayred's house. I knocked on the door and walked in. He was working furiously on the arrows, so I waited for an hour or so. He sighed softly, indicating that he was done. He marveled at his work and handed me twenty arrows.

"Let's go kill the Gatekeeper." He said, almost hollow.

"Yes, let's go." I replied, equipping my own bow.

I followed him out the door where a young woman stood, pacing back and forth.

"Hello." I greeted.

She smiled. "Hi there. Want to talk?"

"Uh, I'm a little busy right now."

"But I've been dying to tell someone about the Gatekeeper!"

I signaled for Jayred to wait, and he stopped, fidgeting with his feet.

"Okay, what is it?"

"Well, My mistress, Relmyna Verenim, made him with Sheogorath. She's going to be my teacher someday! She's to teach me all her--"

"Can we please cut to the chase?" I interrupted, feeling my patience wear thin.

"Oh, of course! Sorry. So Relmyna goes to the Gatekeeper every night around midnight and cries, but her tears hurt him! It somehow agitates the Daedra bound to him! Oh, please don't tell her I said anything! She'll give me another lesson of pain, and I don't very much like those lessons."

I nodded and smiled wickedly.

"Come on, it's almost midnight." I whispered to Jayred as I made my way up the stairs.

We reached the top and, sure enough, Relmyna was blubbering like a baby. She was talking to the Gatekeeper, and he reached out to hug her.

"No, you mustn't hug me. Remember what happened last time?" She sniffled.

I couldn't help but feel bad for her and the Gatekeeper. I doubt he had any idea what was going on. Relmyna dropped a tear-soaked rag and walked away, suddenly regaining her composure when she saw Jayred and I. When she was gone, I told Jayred to wait and grabbed the tear soaked rag. I managed to squeeze enough to fill three bottles.

"Yes.." I whispered.

The Gatekeeper must have heard me because he came charging at me and swung his giant mace arm. I rolled out of the way and dipped my arrows into Relmyna's tears.

"Now Jayred!" I screamed, readying my bow.

Jayred burst from the stairs, shooting his supply of arrows. Between the two of us, the Gatekeeper didn't know who to swing at. He finally caught Jayred in the side of the head, flinging him across the clearing as if he were a doll. I shot my last arrow into the spine of the Gatekeeper and he fell over with an earth-shattering thud. I grabbed my dagger and cut into the Gatekeeper's stomach and, like everyone had said, found the keys tight sewed into his intestines. I grunted as squirts of blood shot me in the face, but I held on and grabbed two keys. Just as I wiped my face off, Haskill appeared next to me and sighed.

"Well I see you managed to kill the Gatekeeper, pity. You will notice that you now have two keys. One leads to Dementia, the other to Mania. Both are distinct, but both lead to Sheogorath's domain in New Sheoth. Seek him out there, I believe he will have plans for you." He sighed and teleported away.

I found Jayred's body across the clearing, strewn across blood-stained rocks. I laid my gatekeeper arrows on his body and sighed.

"I'm sorry you poor bastard. I suppose the bones weren't calling to you after all."

I stood up and faced both doors. One lead to Dementia, which was supposed to be dark and gloomy, while the other lead to Mania, which was bright and colorful.

"Great. I can deal with either manics or demented people. Terrific." I mumbled sarcastically.

I knew that manic people could be just as dangerous, if not more, than the Demented.

"Here's goes nothing." I sighed and opened the door to Dementia.


	3. Sheogorath, the Prince of Madness

I walked along the dirt beaten path, looking around at the melancholy scene. Everything was painted in a dim grey haze with twisting, menacing roots rising out of the ground. I grunted as I tripped over a root for the eighteenth time.

"This is a real pain in the ass.." I mumbled to myself as I stepped over another root.

I kept walking along, accidentally bumping into a purple skinned, light armored clad woman who drew her sword and just barely poked me in the abdomen. I put my sword and shield up, a sure sign of surrender.

"Forgive me citizen, I just fought a Grummite." She said scornfully and sheathed her sword.

"It's no problem, but could you point me in the way of Crucible?" I asked politely.

She pointed up the path which was clad in more grey haze.

"It's just up this hill here. You might see it at first, but you must go around to get to the entrance."

I nodded and continued. Walking along the path I noticed that the roots grew thinner and slightly less dangerous, so I assumed I was getting closer. I approached a winding path and followed it, soon finding myself at the doors of what I assumed to be Crucible. The guard at the door rolled her eyes and pushed open the huge wooden door. I mumbled a 'thank you' and went inside. It seemed that all the guard around here are female. As I made my way around, I noticed that everything was just like the outside, bleak and dim. The people of Crucible were slightly twitchy and a bit suspicious. That didn't surprise me, demented people are usually either violent or suspicious. I approached a guard who gave me a disgusted look.

"Excuse me, could you tell me which way the castle is?" I asked, mustering the last of my patience.

She pointed to a nearby staircase.

"Just up those stairs, through the double doors, then head left, then straight up another flight of stairs, and enter through the door."

"Thanks." I replied and followed her instructions. I went up the stairs and opened the double doors into the courtyard, which was beautiful. Everything was green and there were two rows of fires going, one blue and the other a normal reddish-orange.

I went inside the door, seeing that everything was dark from where I was standing, but there were two men inside, one sitting and clapping, there other standing to his left.

"Come in child, come in!" A voice cried hysterically.

I cocked an eyebrow, but walked down some steps and made my way to the strange man, who was clapping and giggling. When he saw me, he stopped. He had yellow eyes with black, cat-like slits. He also has snow white hair with a grey and white bushy beard. He didn't look old at all to me. I guessed he was in his thirties or forties. That, or he had a great skin care regiment.

"Well, look what we have here! A new arrival! I heard what ye've done to meh gatekeeper! What a shame." He cried in a heavy Scottish accent.

I cocked an eyebrow at Haskill, the man to his left, but he simply shrugged.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Sheogorath." I said, not knowing what else to do.

"Yes yes, nice to meet you too, blah, BORING!"

That was totally random..

"Let's fight!" He cried, standing up.

"Err, what?" I replied, stepping back.

"Fight! You're the first one to make it this far, so we have to fight so I know you're really fit to be my champion!"

"But I don't want to--"

Before I could finish, I was hit hard and knocked down by what felt like a rock. I sat up and noticed that it was actually his _fist_. He jumped and clapped like a little girl and balanced a cane in his palm.

"If you want to be my champion, you're going to have to do better than that pumpkin."

Fine. Here goes nothing…again. I got up and brushed myself off, carefully drawing my sword. I charged at him, attempting to stab him, which failed miserably. He grabbed the hilt of my sword and twisted, twisting my arm with it. I quickly turned around and elbowed him in the solar plexus, causinh him to double back. I was not weak. I was anything but _weak_. He recovered quickly and pushed me back, causing me to fall down the stairs that lay in front of his throne. My grey hair was mess as I ran into the hallway surrounding his throne. I stopped to see if we he was catching up when I was slammed into the wall.

"I got you." He said dangerously low as he pushed me into the wall again.

I cried in agony as I felt the air slowly being leaked out of me. I struggled in his grasp and he merely pushed me back more.

"Please.." I barely croaked.

He smiled slghtly. Well, they don't call him the Prince of Madness for nothing, now do they? I remembered my training in the fighters guild and gathered my legs to my chest. He was pushing me so hard that he was keeping me up. I kicked him back and fell to the ground, quickly scrambling up and drawing another sword. He grabbed my wrist and twisted, but I simply twisted along with him and wrenched my hand free. I slashed him across the cheek and gasped. How could I have _harmed_ the Prince of Madness? A daedric god, no less! He looked at me, and I watched as his deep wound burned away into nothing. The blood still trickled down his cheek.

"Let me help you." I whispered and drew a clean white linen and wiped his cheek.

"I don't need a mortal's help." He hissed.

My eyes grew sad as I withdrew my hand. I hurt him, so now I want to help him. Why won't he let me?

I followed him back to the throne as Haskill approached me, taking my cloth away. I wanted to reach for it, feeling Sheogorath's warm blood against my fingertips, to feel his life upon my flesh, but Haskill wouldn't allow it.

"Forgive him, he's incredibly stubborn." He said quietly.

I looked over Haskill's shoulder as Sheogorath laid in his throne, wiping away the blood that remained on his cheek.

"I know." I replied.

That was a lie. I didn't know. I didn't know a damned thing about Sheogorath, or the Shivering Isles in general. I was a lost girl, looking for a light to guide me.

As much as I hated to admit it, it seemed apparent to me that Sheogorath was to be that light.


	4. A Better Mousetrap

"Come here mortal, I have a job for you." Sheogorath said sharply.

I sighed and appraoched his throne. He wiped away the last trickle of blood from his cheek. I wanted to to do that.

"You are going to activate Xedilian. Get it up and running. Oh, you're going to need this too." He handed me what looked like a stick.

"What's this?" I inquired, turning it over in my hands.

"It's the attentuator of judgement. You're going to need it later."

I nodded and turned around.

"Wait." He said lowly.

I turned back around and he gestured to Haskill.

"Talk to him if you need more information. I'm far too busy to deal with you now." He said cheerfully and handed me a dusty tome.

I blew the dust off and it read 'Manual to Xedilian'. Great. I have to read now, too?

I didn't bother asking Haskill for help, since it was kind of self explanitory. I followed the 'X' Sheogorath had made on my map and came across an old, run down building.

"This must be it." I said to myself and gathered my wits and went inside.

It was so dusty in here that I began to cough uncontrollably. I took out another cloth and tied it around my face, continuing my progress in Xedilian. I approached a crystal thingy that the manual told me about.

"Well, this is it." I said to myself, looking around. "But I don't see a--"

Before I could finish my sentence, I felt a blot of electricity blast me right in the small of my back. I screamed and turned around, and it was a grummite wielding a staff. I didn't even know they were that intelligent. No matter. I charged at him, narrowly avoiding another bolt of electricity, an manged to stab him in the head. He ran around for a bit then toppled over, spilling blood on my boots. I lifted my sword out of his head and took the crystal out of his staff.

"Thank you very much!" I grunted and kicked his bloody corpse.

I placed the crystal in the Nexus of Judgement and went along my merry way.

"Two more to go, this shouldn't be so bad." I said to myself.

I spoke too soon, because there were a battalion of grummites just ahead. I managed to dive behind a crystal formation. They grunted and squealed to one another, and soon enough it was just the Grummite with the staff left.

"Got'cha." I whispered and burst from my hiding place.

He must have heard me because I was scorched with a lightning blast in the stomach which caused me to double over, but I continued on. I noticed that the Grummites who wielded the staffs were incredibly weak armor wise, but that was okay. I didn't very much mind as I cut the little shit's head off. I snatched his staff and broke the crystal, placing it in the proper resting place. I limped along, black splotches dotting my vision. I had to finish this for Sheogorath. I couldn't let him down.

But why? Why did I feel such a need to impress him?

Did I love him?

No. No no no no no no NO I could NOT love a daedric prince, could I?

My thoughts were interrupted again by yet another grummite with a staff. Thankfully this was the last one. I quickly killed it before it could hit me with another electricity bolt. I quickly stabbed it in the heart and snapped the crystal off before tumbling on my side, cutting through my armor and scraping my side badly. I struggled to get up and limped to the Nexus of Judgement and placed the crystal down. After I activated the Resonator of Judgement I breathed a sigh of relief. That relief was short lived though when I steppe onto a teleportation pad and passed out. Not surprising considering my injuries.

When I woke up however, I saw a man in what appeared to be Mythic Dawn robes. Holy hell was I back in Paradise?? Before I could shank him in the left kidney, he approached me. He talked about how I need to this and this for Sheogorath and blah blah blah. Frankly, I really wasn't listening. The only I caught was that I need to go to certain rooms and wait for some asshole adventurers and either kill them or make them go insane. Yup, okay. Your name's Kiliban? Two blocks? Yeah sure, whatever. Questions? No I think I got it. Man this guy could just talk and talk. I noticed however that my wounds were healed.

"Did you heal me?" I asked, heading to the room that he directed me too.

"I tried to, but it's only temporary. You'll have to see Sheogorath if you want to fully healed."

Ah, another reason to see him. Good.

I saw the adventurers come in. There were only three of them, made of the usual gang, one fighter, one mage and one bow user/thief. Big surprise there. I yawned until the blocks next to me glowed and I carefully read the inscriptons. A real army of Gnarls, to kill, or a fake army of Gnarls, to go insane. Hmm, decisions decisions!

I decided to do the sadistic thing and please Sheogorath by making one of them go insane. Couldn't tell which one though, I was blind as a bat. A door opened behind me and I stepped onto a teleportation pad and into the next room. I walked in and waited for the adventurers, checking out the huge caged-in treasure. Finally they walked in and spoke in hushed tones. Again, the blocks glowed and I read the inscriptions. A fireball or a huge pile of keys. This was tough. I figured we'd go with fireball considering we made the last one go insane. When I pushed the block, the blast was so powerful it sent the mage (or at least I think it was the mage) across the room. I supressed a laugh and went into the next room, ignoring Kiliban's praises and adoration for my terrible mind. Last room and I can finally go back to Sheogorath. I watched as the last adventurer, the orcish fighter, walked through and cursed whoever made him comrades die or go insane. I decided to make insane because, well I was just sadistic like that.

"Goodbye, moron." I called from my balcony and pushed the block to make him go insane with a giant ghost. I watched and laughed hysterically as the orc eventually succumbed to my and Sheogorath's will. I exhaled sharply and doubled over, feeling my painful wounds come back. I walked back out where Kiliban looked a little worried.

"I can see the pain is coming back."

"No kidding." I replied. "Could that be because I'm doubled over?"

"Well, this was on the last adventurer you made go insane. I don't think he'll be needing it, hm?"

He handed me a sword that was cut in the center, with a large, purplish-blue gem in the center. It was excpetionally light for a long sword, but there seemed to be more to this sword than I thought.

"Apparently it's a strange sword because I found this scrap of paper explaining what it does with the orc."

I quickly scanned the paper and smiled.

"Cool. I have a blood thirsty sword."

He smirked and followed me down the stairs where what appeared to be some knights waited by the Resonator. Judging by the swords, they weren't too happy to see me. Kiliban tried to tell me to run, but I refused. I cast an electricity spell on the first one that charged at me, causing my fingertips to singe since I didn't do it right. I stood up straight and drew out the Duskfang, as it was called at night and stabbed the knight. Kiliban helped me with the rest of the knights and sighed.

"I'll just teleport you back to the palace, considering you're in no condition to walk."

I was about to protest when I felt blood trickle out of my mouth.

"Yeah..maybe you're right.." I whispered as an eerie green light glowed around me, and before I knew it I was back at the palace, facing Sheogorath.

"Good God, what happened to you?" Haskill asked, unable to catch me as I fell to Sheogorath's feet.

"Grummites..little bastards." I mumbled.

Sheogorath bent over and carefully took off my cuirass. If I had enough blood to blush I would have, considering I don't wear anything beneath my armor, save for a leather bra. I watched as a river of blood trickled down the first and second steps. I gasped as Sheogorath's warm hands were placed on my torso. The black, charred skin melted away and Sheogorath drew out the same white cloth that I had given him and wiped away the blood that remained. I didn't object, considering it felt nice for a change, for someone to care about me. He rolled me over and did the same thing on my back, wiping the blood away until I was clean.

"Thanks." I whispered, fidgeting with my fingers.

"It was nothing...mortal." He replied with a smile.


	5. Thadon

I stood up and sighed lightly as Haskill handed me my cuirass with one hand while the other covered his eyes.

"Please, for the sake of everyone here, make yourself decent."

"Why, are you calling me fat? 'Cause I'll kick your ass around this throne room."

I felt a whack on my head and I winced.

"No violence!" Sheogorath lectured, lowering his staff. "Well, not right now anyway." He added in a low tone.

"Can I have some cheese?" I asked as I remembered him tell Haskill once that he loves cheese and he loves anyone who loves cheese.

"Hmm..let me think about it. NO!"

"Aww.." I replied and kicked the floor. "I never get any cheese."

"Shut up for a minute." Sheogorath said, pressing two fingers to his temples. "Oh yes. I remember now!" He laughed as if nothing happened before.

I wrinkled my face in concentration and mouthed 'He's stone cold fuck nuts.'

"I HEARD THAT!" He screamed, getting up from his throne.

"BUT I DIDN'T EVEN SAY ANYTHING." I yelled back in panic.

Sheogorath sat back down with a smile. "Oh yeah. You didn't."

I looked to Haskill who merely shrugged. Apparently he doesn't know much either.

"Now, more to the point." Sheogorath said and kicked his legs up over the arm rest of the chair. "If I want you to be my champion and save The Isles from the Greymarch--" 

"But you never said anything about the Greymarch."

I felt the hot, angry stare of Sheogorath. Crap, I was toast.

"I WILL TELL YOU IN DUE TIME MORTAL, NOW SHUT UP." He was starting to get hysterical now, I decided to keep my mouth shut.

"The Greymarch is a movement, an apocalypse of sorts where Jyggalag walks. Happens at the end of every era, which is to say, now. He destroys everything in his path. He also never skips, strides or struts, just destroys everything. Understand?"

"Yes." I replied in a small tone. Okay, Jyggalag bad. Destroys everything at the end of every era. Got'cha.

"Now, I van't expect you to save my kingdom if you can't even understand what it is. Go seek out the Duke of Mania and the Duchess of Dementia. Let them show you each realm and its residents. Let them help you to understand."

"Of course. When should I start?"

Sheogorath got up and was centimeters away from my face. I'm sure he could see the terror in my copper brown eyes.

"Now." He replied lowly.

"Okay, sounds good to me." I replied and walked over the Mania side of the castle and looked around for Thadon, Duke of Mania.

"Is Thadon here?" I asked a Golden Saint. "I need to see him under orders of Lord Sheogorath."

"For Lord Sheogorath?" She almost seemed shocked. "Of course, follow me and I'll lead you to him."

I followed her outside into a beautiful garden where Thadon sat, humming and painting.

"Your Grace." The Golden Saint cleared her throat. "This girl is here to see you."

He continued to hum and paint and patted a stool next to him and I sat down, waiting for what he had to say.

"People." He said quietly.

"Pardon?" I asked, slightly confused.

"People" He repeated.

I assumed this was a riddle, so I replied, "People are what people make them to be."

"Yes." He replied. "Passion."

"Passion is also what people make it to be."

He nodded and added one last word, "Affair."

"Affairs..aren't right." I replied.

"Really? You think so?"

"Yes." I replied. "It isn't right to the other people."

"Ah, but what if there wasn't another person? Just forbidden love?"

"What?"

"Think about it. Two dukes meet and have an _affair_. Isn't it marvelous?"

"Who are you talking about?" I asked, getting frustrated with his stoned demeanor.

"Go to Dunroot Burrow and recover the Chalice of Reversal. Only then will you truly understand me, and the lands of Mania."

He grabbed my map and sluggishly drew an X on it, outside of New Sheoth.

"Yeah, sure." I replied and added in a low tone, "Weirdo."


	6. Lady of Paranoia

I stared at my map and then at the giant tree in front of me.

"Well, this must be it I suppose." I sighed and felt a sharp puncture in my back.

I screamed as I turned around and saw it was an Elytra, nasty yucky ugly big bugs. Gross.

I drew out my longsword and stabbed it in the head before it could do any further damage. I remember asking Wide-Eye if there was anything I should be careful for. She denied everything, so I picked the Felldew from its body and looked at it questionably.

"Well, the only way I can do this is if I eat it.." I sighed and popped it into my mouth, immediately feeling the effects and walking up to the door, giggling as it opened for me.

I walked in and noticed this place was over run with the Elytra bastards. I quickly disposed of a few, collecting the Felldew their bodies carried. I tried to gather my wits and save these for when I needed them, but I just couldn't. I felt my knees weaken and I fell to the ground, noticing I was a little weaker. I struggled to get up and continued on my way. I walked into a room and felt my heart twinge, causing me to fall again. I reached into my pack, grabbing a piece of Felldew and greedily ate it, feeling a lot better.

'_Must be a poison. I wonder if this is what Thadon is doped up on all the time?_' I thought to myself as I opened a door and found myself in a normal looking room.

"Whos there?" Someone called out.

I took a deep breath and drew out my long sword, looking around. A breton walked down a set of stone steps, and I dived into the shadows, holding onto my sword and breathing heavily. I was terrified, and I didn't even know why. I _knew_ I could kill this person as easy as I could breathe, but something was holding me back. I put the thought aside and dived out of the shadows, stabbing the breton in the abdomen, grabbing my dagger and throwing it at a woman at the top of the stairs, hitting her right in the skull. She gurgled and died, so I drew out my long sword from the breton male and wiped the blood off while whistling. I grabbed what looked like the Chalice of Reversal, and didn't feel the need to eat anymore Felldew. I looked around, finding that pain-in-the-ass back door that everyone failed to tell me about and made my way back to New Sheoth.

---

"I did it Thadon. I have the Chalice."

"Wonderful!" He replied softly. "Just...wonderful."

I handed it to him carefully and he took it, looking it over and marveling at the beauty.

"Good. I'm now making you a Courtier of Mania, with all of its entitlements." He then chuckled and added, "Which is, to say, none."

I rolled my eyes and opened the door to Sheogorath's throne room, considering it was the shortest short cut to see Syl, Lady of Dementia. I glanced quickly at Sheogorath, who was in deep conversation with Haskill. Sheogorath looked up and waved like a dweeb. I smiled and waved back and opened the door to Dementia, which was grey and listless. I walked carefully up to the throne of Syl and cleared my throat. She jumped in shock.

"How dare you approach the Duchess of Dementia?! Do you seek death?!"

"Umm..no, not today. I was told to come see you."

She waved her hands hysterically, and I instincively came closer.

"They're watching me." She whispered.

"Them? Oh yeah, I know what you mean." I said, making fun of her well-known paranoia. "They watch me in the shower all the time!"

With that last statement I was clubbed over the head by her Steward. Ouch.

"No you idiot! They're plotting against me! They _all_ want me dead!"

"So what do you suppose I do about it?" I asked.

"I'm appointing you to Grand Inquisitor. Go see Herdir in the torture chambers and get to the bottom of it now!"

It was no wonder people called her The Lady of Paranoia.

I walked into the torture chambers and saw a balding older man in scruffy clothes and sandals badgering a prisoner. I cleared my throat and he turned around, looking me over questionably.

"I'm the Grand Inquisitor. I was told by The Lady of Dementia to come see you."

"Ah, Grand Inquisitor. I expected you to enter with a little more flair but--"

"Oh, okay then." I replied and went back up the stairs, jumping down and sliding across the floor playing air guitar.

"Well.." Herdir started, scratching his head, "Now that you've made an entrance with a bit more flair, let's get into Crucible and start interrogating."

"Sounds good to me." I replied and stretched. "I kind of like the idea of interrogation."

Herdir and I walked out into Crucible as we looked for suspicious people to interrogate.

"YOU!" I shouted.

---

Aw, cliff hanger!

Don't worry, the next chapter will be filled with lots of laughs and lots of tragedy...just wait and see!


	7. Dead Cats and Admiration

"What the hell?!" Herdir whispered to himself as he saw me pick up a cat from its two front paws.

"What do you know about a conspiracy?!" I yelled, shaking the cat.

"MROOOOW!!!!"

"Liar! Herdir, torture him!" I yelled.

"Ermm..Grand Inquisitor, if I may.."

"No you may not! Now torture him!"

"IT'S A CAT FOR SHEOGORATH'S SAKE!!"

"HE KNOWS SOMETHING, I KNOW IT!" I yelled back.

Herdir sighed and covered his eyes as he sent a bolt of electricity at the cat. The cat hissed violently and wriggled, but I held my grip. The cat stopped struggling and I looked down at it as Herdir walked over.

"Is it dead?" He asked quietly.

"I don't know." I replied and shook him. "Kitty? Time to wake up kitty!" I chuckled nervously.

"Pussy poo!" A woman called in the distance. "Has anyone seen my precious pussy-poo?"

"Oh shit!" Herdir whispered and flailed his arms.

"What the hell am I supposed to do with it?!" I whispered harshly.

"Get rid of it!" He replied in a panic.

I looked around and flung the cat up over the wall into Bliss, and walked away whistling conspicuously.

---Several hours and dead cats later---

"No one seems to know anything." I sighed morosely.

Herdir leaned on a building and sighed in frustration.

"That's because all of your 'suspects' HAVE BEEN CATS!!!"

"That's not true!" I retaliated. "One of them was a Khajiit..."

"Which is what, Grand Inquisitor Layla?"

"A cat.." I mumbled softly.

"Hey wait a sec.." Herdir whispered and nudged me.

I looked forward and saw a VERY suspicious looking Khajiit. He kept looking around, like as if he had done something wrong. I remember one person we actually tortured said something about a Khajiit, and judging by his suspicious stance, this must be him. I walked over to him, and before I even opened my mouth, he started screaming.

"I KNOW NOTHING ABOUT A CONSPIRACY!!"

I looked to Herdir and he nodded, zapping the khajiit with a sharp bolt of electricity. He screamed in pain and fell to his knees.

"Okay, okay!" He moaned. "Ma'zaddha and Nelrene often talk behind his home here around midnight. Please don't hurt me again!"

"I won't, but scoot! Get out of here!"

He scrambled up to his feet and sped off back into town. Herdir chuckled.

"Would you like me to head back to the castle so you can eavesdrop?" He asked.

"No, I'd prefer to have you with me when I do it."

"Oh how sweet." He replied as I crawled behind some busted crates. "I didn't know you cared."

"Shut up and hide." I growled. It should be midnight soon..

--A few minutes later--

"What have you found out?" A woman asked harshly.

Oh yeah, that DEFINITELY sounded like Nelrene.

"Anya refuses to help." Ma'zaddha whispered. "She's too scared."

Nelrene sighed in frustration and grabbed Ma'zaddha by the collar.

"You make _sure_ she helps, or it's your head!" She growled and stomped off.

As soon as she was gone, I leapt from my hiding place with my hands around his throat. He fell to his knees and started to cough.

"I'm not even choking you that hard!" I growled. "Now tell me what you know about that conspiracy!"

He coughed again and smirked, showing his sharp fangs. I wasn't impressed, so I choked him again.

"I have no idea what you're talking about!" He gurgled.

"I over heard you talking to Nelrene, don't give me your bullshit!" I whispered, trying not to alert the guards.

"Okay, okay, I give up!"

"Now those are the magic words." I chuckled lightly and stopped choking him.

He struggled to his feet and began to shake.

"Okay, come to my house tomorrow night, and I promise I'll give you names! Do we have a deal?" He asked desperately.

"We have a deal, but if you cross me," My voice grew lower and darker and I felt like Sheogorath with his mood swings. "You'll find I'm not a very nice person. Got it?"

He nodded furiously and slinked back into his home. Herdir melted from the shadows and was clapping and chuckling lightly.

"What so funny?" I demanded.

"You, my dear. Nice job with the choking, and the Sheogorath-like mood swing."

I don't know why, but my fury burned with the way he said Sheogorath. Maybe he knows of my admiration for that psychopath?

Nah, no way.

"I wonder what that crazy bastard is doing now?" I wondered aloud./

"He's probably day dreaming about that dancer that comes in and--"

"EWWW!!" I screeched and proceeded to beat the living piss out of Herdir. "That's so gross!! I don't need to hear about what Sheogorath does in his free time! That's just plain sick!"

"That's not what I heard." He chuckled, easily side stepping my pathetic attacks.

"What do you mean?"

"You know exactly what I mean. You have a crush on our dear Lord Sheogorath!"

"What the hell?! I do not!" I screamed and proceeded to slap him around again.

"You're such a liar! You're _obsessed_ with him!"

"I'm not obsessed, I just--"

"AHA! GOT YOU!" He screamed.

"Oh damn." I mumbled, blushing at the fact that I admire Sheogorath.


	8. Daedric Party!

---Just a small fast forward---

I watched as Muurine lay miserable in her cage. Bitch deserved it for trying to whack the Lady of Dementia. I mean, so she had an affair with the enemy. Things happen, get over it. Well, in this case she got over it with nice fatal electricity bolt. Heh heh.

"Here. I am appointing you to Courtier of Dementia. Please accept this bow as a token of my thanks. May your enemies never know where you're striking from or with what enchantment."

I bowed slightly and accepted the bow, slinging it across my shoulder and walking back into Sheogorath's palace.

"What the.."

When I got in, Sheogorath was giggling like a school girl and rolling around on the floor, clutching his cane tightly.

"Try it!" He giggled. "It's fun!"

I shrugged and sighed as I laid down next to him and proceeded to roll in unison. Soon enough, I was giggling like a school girl. It's kind of fun having a mad Daedric Prince for a friend.

"I'm going to a Daedric party tonight." He laughed, standing up. "Would you like to come?"

"But I'm a mortal." I pointed out. "Aren't mortals not allowed at these things?"

I had heard tales that all the Daedric Princes get together every now and then, and have what we mortals call 'a party'. I always wanted to got one, they always seemed so interesting, especially with Sanguine and Sheogorath.

"Nonsense! You'll simply be a guest. Besides, if anyone fusses, I'll wipe your mind of the whole thing."

The fact that Sheogorath could wipe my entire mind in about as much time as it would take to snap my fingers made me shiver.

"Okay, I'll go." I replied.

"TERRIFIC!" He screeched and jumped. "Maybe it won't be so boring now that a _mortal_ will be there!"

"What do you mean?"

"See, us immortals, we're predictable. We'll get drunk, sit around and do nothing. You mortals however, you're _unpredictable_. There's no telling what you're going to do next.

I didn't think of myself as unpredictable, but hey. Who really cares anyhow?

"I need to change." I thought out loud, looking down at my scuffed, blood-stained armor.

"No problem." Sheogorath replied and took my arm, leading me into his room.

"Just find whatever suits your taste." He said simply and shut the door.

"Okay..." I said aloud to myself, "What he's doing with female clothes is beyond me.."

I raided through three closets and two wardrobes, content with finding leather grieves and boots with a quilted doublet. I checked myself out in the mirror and smiled.

"Damn I make this shit look good." I mumbled to myself.

I walked out of the door where Sheogorath and Haskill stood talking quietly. Sheogorath gave me the up and the down and frowned.

"What?" I asked.

"Couldn't you have found something more.."

"Formal?" I finished for him.

"Yeah."

I rolled my eyes and went back into the room, digging through more closets and wardrobes for a blue silk shirt, blue silk skirt and blue suede shoes.

"Better?" I asked.

He gave me the up and the down again and smiled.

"We'll be back later." Sheogorath said to Haskill with a smile and snatched my arm, casting a spell.

We ended up in what looked like a huge hallway of some sort. Sheogorath looked around at the other daedric princes and smiled. I recognized a few of them, like Azura, Meridia, Molag Bal, and, to my dismay, Mehrunes Dagon. He saw me and stood up, snarling and stretching his four arms. I clutched to Sheogorath's arm and almost whimpered. I was powerless in this realm of Oblivion, which, according to the texts I've read, is Azura's.

"What were you thinking Sheo?" Mehrunes snarled.

"I can think?" Sheogorath smiled, trying to avoid the question.

"You brought the mortal known as 'Layla Gallenus.' Don't you know?"

He tried to strangle me but I sidestepped, running to the other side of the room.

"I thought we banished you!" I called from the other side of the room.

"Yes, from entering _Tamriel_." he said, suddenly appearing behind me. "No one ever said anything about other planes of Oblivion."

He picked me up by my throat and I gagged as he laughed at me. Why wasn't anyone doing anything?"

"You're frail mortal." He laughed.

Suddenly I was dropped as Azura slapped Mehrunes upside the head.

"Leave her alone." She scolded. "Haven't you caused enough trouble?"

She came to me and examined my throat.

"Are you okay?" Her voice sounded so divine.

"I think I'll recover." I chuckled.

She smiled. "Good. Now let's get this party started now that you and Sheo are here."

I smiled and felt welcomed by everyone. Except for, of course, Mehrunes Dagon who had to sit at the opposite side of the room from me.

"Sanguine!" Sheo greeted as the Daedric Prince drunkenly waltzed in.

"Hey everybody!" He drawled and drank some wine. "You won't believe this but.." He took another sip. "But I like... oh I forgot." He laughed.

He seemed a lot like Sheogorath, except drunk. I quietly sat on the couch between Molag Bal and Meridia. Molag Bal scooched a little closer to me and put his hand on my leg.

"So..you're Sheo's plaything, huh?" He asked seductively.

I knew Molag Bal was the prince of rape, which made me a little nervous.

"I'm not his 'plaything', I'm simply his..."

"Acquaintance?" He finished, gripping my thigh.

As much sensation as this brought, I stood up and followed Sheogorath into what looked like a kitchen, clutching his arm tightly.

"Something wrong?" He asked, swigging a tankard of wine.

Oh crap, now he was drinking too.

"Molag Bal is making me feel a little..." I searched for the right word.

"Uncomfortable?" He slurred.

I nodded as he slid a tankard in front of me.

"Loosen up, stick with me and you'll be fine."

I sipped the wine. I wasn't a big drinker, but this was so much better than what I could find in Tamriel. What I didn't know is that is was also much stronger.

I was roaring drunk in no time.

---UPDATE---

I didn't realize until after I published this and read 'Fun with the daedric princes', that they sound suspiciously alike. I promise I did not rip this idea from the author of that story, I was just playing Oblivion a little while ago, and at one point you ask Sheo about Jygalaag, he says that no one likes him at parties, so that just gave me inspiration.


	9. Just A Joke

I remember falling off my stool, rolling around giggling incessantly until Sheo pulled me up and I used the same stool as a walker.

"Can you even stand?" Sanguine asked.

I don't remember my answer but it made everyone laugh, so I guess I said no. That, or I said yes and ended up falling down again.

"Sheo, I tired." I slurred.

"So slee." He slurred back, unable to pronounce the 'p'.

I remember walking back to the couch and passing out.

---

I woke up and groaned, feeling the nasty effects of a hangover. I looked around and noticed I was in a room and in a bed. Not only that, but I was _naked._

"Sheo..?" I asked cautiously and rolled over.

I was sleeping next to Molag Bal. I jumped up and screamed, which woke him up. He reached across the bed to attack me, but I dodged it and grabbed a nightgown, which I hurriedly put on as I ran out of the room, literally bumping into a laugh Sheogorath and Sanguine.

"Sheo, Molag Bal--"

He didn't even listen to me because he was too busy laughing. I felt my blood boil as I slapped him hard across the face, which stopped everything.

"I was just date raped, that's not funny!" I started to cry.

Sheogoarth's smile faded, and to my surprise it melted into guilt.

"He didn't do anything, we just kind of--"

"Wait, _you_ did this?!" I screamed.

"Well...yeah, but see, no one raped you. It was just a joke really."

I ignored the pounding in my head and let the tears run down my cheeks.

"I'm not laughing."

I stormed off to find Azura, maybe she could take me home.

"Azura, can you take me home?"

"Why? Is everything all right?" She asked.

"No, Sheo and Sanguine decided it would be hilarious to strip me naked and put me in bed with Molag Bal."

For the first time, and probably the last, Azura's divine beauty burned into divine anger.

"I'll have a talk with them, you just wait here."

I sat down on the floor, running my fingers through the intricate designs embedded on the floor. I noticed that there were words in the daedric language. I roughly translated it to be 'Sweet child'. That didn't make much sense, so I figured I translated it wrong. It was odd that I didn't hear Azura chewing Sheogorath and Sanguine out, considering they weren't that far away. I hope she didn't kill them. I felt kind of bad for ratting them out, but then again, they kind of deserved it. The tiles underneath me felt strangely colder as I ran my fingers about them endlessly. I felt entranced until Azura came back, causing me to come back.

"I can't take you home, Sheo has to. He's the only one who can get into the Isles." She said sadly.

"Okay, the sooner the better I suppose." I sighed and stood up.

I went back into Molag Bal's room, thankfully he wasn't there. My clothes were scattered on the floor, so I quickly picked them up and redressed. I walked out to find Sheogorath balancing on his cane.

"Let's go." I mumbled as I stood close to him.

He cast a spell and before I knew it, we were back in the Isles with Haskill standing near the throne.

"So how did everything go?" He asked.

"Terrible." I choked and walked away.

"Where are you going?" Sheogorath called after me.

"For a walk. Maybe I'll be back, maybe I won't. We'll have to wait and see."

---

I watched as Layla stormed out the door, slamming it as she walked into the night.

"Would like me to send someone out to get her?" Haskill asked.

"No, she'll come back."

"Forgive me sire, but how can you be so sure?"

I looked down at Haskill as I twirled my cane about in my hands.

"I'm not." I chuckled.

"Would you like some brain pie sir? Brain pie always makes you feel better."

"No, my dear Haskill, just get me a drink."

"Would you like me to bring a dancer in too, my Lord?"

"Not tonight. I need to be alone." I sighed and ran a hand over my face.


	10. Returning home, sort of

I wanted to cry. I wanted to scream and curse and collapse on the ground in an emotional, feminine way, but I couldn't do it. Instead, I briskly jogged down the stairs leading to the throne room, passing by curious Mazken and Aureals alike. I walked dreadfully slow, taking in the beauty of the night sky in The Isles. Everything was cast in a low, pink light and it captured my attention to the point where I didn't notice that Sheogorath was behind me.

"Layla?" He asked quietly.

I turned around and the tears that didn't want to come out, came out. He reached for me, but I stepped away. He was the Daedric Prince of Madness. One second he could apologize profusely and sincerely, and the next he could do it all over again. In all the books I pored into about Daedric Princes, he was the most alluring. I liked a little madness here and then, but he was just... indescribable to say the least.

"I want to apologize." He whispered and shooed away his curious minions.

"How do I know that you won't do it again?" I sniffed.

He smiled and shrugged. I wasn't sure if I wanted to laugh or kill him.

"Just go away." I whispered tiredly.

"Not until you forgive me."

"Fine, I forgive you, now go away." I growled in annoyance.

He simply crossed his arms and sighed. I had a feeling this was going to the calm before the storm.

"Layla Gallenus--"

He was starting to raise his voice now, but it didn't matter to me. Not anymore.

"Shut up!"

My voice was merely a shell of what I actually meant. I immediately shut my mouth as I watched the fire burn in Sheogorath's eyes. I was terrified of what would happen next, but I stood my grounds bravely like a woman. Before I knew it, a bright flash of white consumed my vision and I noticed that he had struck me with the base of his palm near my eyes. In the confusion, he grabbed my hair and dragged me up the staircase, with me screaming the way there. He threw the door open and dragged me across the throne room, with my screams being able to kill a siren. He roughly set me down in front of his throne, with Haskill wide-eyed, but silent.

"Layla." Sheogorath said in his warning tone.

"Sheogorath." I mocked.

Haskill looked away as I received another blow to the head. I gritted mt teeth together, despite the dizziness and darkness that spun before me. I felt his hands wrap gently around my wrists, and I knew he was in another mood swing. This time it was his compassionate side taking over.

"Please get up Layla." He said in an uncharacteristically soft tone.

"No." I replied in a fit.

"Stop acting childish." He said in annoyance.

"I am not being childish! You're an ass!"

"I'll make you get Layla if you do not." He said in another warning tone.

"Then make me!"

One of the biggest mistakes of my life, mind you.

He tugged hard which made me yelp. He spun me around roughly to face him as I shrugged my arms, making sure they were still in socket. I finally met his hard gaze and smiled.

"You didn't have to tug so hard." I chuckled.

"You didn't get up." He replied, not breaking the gaze.

"Yeah? So?" I retaliated.

I was trying to make him crazy...well, crazier anyway...and it seemed to work for now.

"_So_, I had to pick you up roughly." He stopped to smile. "And stop trying to make me crazy. You can't make The Daedric Prince of Madness go crazy."

I smiled and felt dizzy. I think Haskill caught me as I passed out from my concussion.


	11. The night belongs to lovers

I awoke in a rather extravagant bedroom with red and blue flames casting shadows on the deep red walls. The bed I was in was split down the middle, one red and the other blue. I rolled around a few times, realizing it was dark and that my head hurt like crazy. I noticed on the nightstand was a bottle of painkillers and a glass of water. I looked at the ingredient label, and it clearly had aspirin in it. I whined at the thought of no painkillers, because everyone (except for Sheogorath, obviously) knew that you can't take aspirin when you have a concussion. I noticed there was a vanity on the other side of the room with some unlit candles, so I picked up a blue candle and lit the candles on the vanity, casting my face into a cool, blue light. I picked up a comb and gently brushed my silvery grey hair. I sighed at the thought of Martin and Jauffre, and Baurus. I missed them all, especially Martin. He's been gone for so long I believe I've forgotten what he looks like. I remember him telling me when I went into Paradise to come back successful or the world will burn beneath our feet. I brushed my hair, relishing the memories I had with Martin until the door opened. I looked to the door and noticed Haskill blocking the light.

"You're awake." He said quietly.

"Yes." I replied just as quietly.

He walked in and shut the door behind him, pulling up a seat next to me.

"Is this Sheogorath's room?" I asked as I continued to brush my hair.

"Yes. He put you in here when you passed out."

I nodded and put the brush down, wondering why in the Isles the Prince of Madness would need a hairbrush for. I put the thought aside and swiveled in the chair to face Haskill.

"Does he know I'm awake?" I asked gently.

"No, but figuring that I'm taking an awfully long time to check on you, he probably will figure out that you're awake in three...two.."

He didn't even make it to three when the light flipped on, practically blinding me and getting tackled to the ground with the chair falling away from me.

"Sire, the concussion!" Haskill warned as Sheogorath laid on top of me.

"You're awake!" He squealed.

"Yes," I strained under his weight, "I'm up and I'm alive."

"Oooh, that's good," He replied, "The healer said I had to poke ye awake every two hours. Or was it two minutes? Cows. Pretty puppies."

"Umm, what?" I was confused.

"Pretty space people." He giggled.

Wow, he ought to be the Prince of ADD.

Sheogorath eventually rolled off me and waved Haskill away. Haskill got the message and walked out, closing the door quietly behind him. Sheogorath's serious, but usually gentle, side took over.

"I know what I did was wrong." He said lowly.

Now it was his sad side. He was going through so many mood swings, I just hoped I wouldn't say anything that would make him want to hit me again.

"It's all my fault, you shouldn't even be here." He was starting cry.

Wait a second. _**Cry**_?! The Prince of Madness _**CRYING?**_ I didn't even think it was possible!

"Don't cry Sheo," I whispered, holding his shoulder as he gathered himself into a ball, "I forgive you, there's no need to cry anymore."

Another mood swing. This time it was the arrogant, macho-man mood.

"I wasn't crying!" He shrieked. "Daedric Princes don't cry!"

I sighed explosively and stood up to leave. I couldn't take much more of this. As I touched the doorknob to leave, I felt a tug on my other arm. I turned around and saw Sheogorath looking pitiful. Great, another mood swing.

"Please don't go." He said quietly and pulled me down on front of him.

"What can you offer me?" I bargained.

He smiled wickedly.

"I can offer you many things."

"Such as..?"

"You'll be my champion," He whispered, "The one who will stop the Greymrach and save the Isles."

"Very tempting," I retaliated with a smile, "But you'll have to do better than that."

Again, he smiled wickedly. Not wickedly like before, but wickedly like I-know-your-deepest-secret wicked.

"Herdir, the one from Dementia, told me something about you, regarding me."

My face burned in a deep blush. I swear if I find Herdir, he is so dead.

"What did he say?" I asked shakily.

"That you love me." He replied quietly.

I fell onto the ground and groaned into the soft carpet.

"Is it true?" Sheogorath asked.

"Every word of it." I replied, muffled by the carpet.

I could just break down and cry, then run away and never come back. Before I could my plan into action though, Sheogorath picked me up by the collar of my shirt. He sat me in front of him and I couldn't read his expression. The closest I could get was that he was enjoying my embarrassment,

"Every word, you say?" He asked, almost trying to torture me.

"Yes." I quietly replied.

I was about to make up a lie on the spot, that I was drunk, but it was too late. I already said it and there was no going back. My thoughts were brought to a screeching halt when he kissed me.


	12. Swimming!

I couldn't think. Hell, I couldn't breathe. Sheogorath, the Daedric Prince of Madness, was _kissing_ me! Sheogorath could sense my trepidation and broke the kiss, scowling slightly.

"I'm giving what you want," He growled lowly, "You could at least enjoy it."

"I am," I whispered gently, "It's just...unexpected."

"You're a nice girl." He said with a wide smile.

"And you're a nice man." I replied with a laugh.

His fingers brushed against my cheek, and they were surprisingly soft, completely unlike what I thought they would be.

"We'd better get back before Haskill gets suspicious."

He nodded and I got up to leave when he screamed, "PIGGY BACK RIDE!"

Before I could say no, he leapt onto my back, causing me to grunt and hoist him up. Thank the Gods I have wide hips so I could easily support him.

"Mush," He cried, "To the throne room!"

I sighed and walked into the throne room with the Daedric Prince giggling and jumping on my back, yelling for me to go faster. I sighed and ran around the throne room about two and a half times before collapsing from exhaustion.

"That was fun!" He squealed.

"Maybe for you." I panted, trying desperately to catch my breath.

"Your turn." He said and squatted low, knowing full well I don't jump well.

I smiled and got up and jumped just as he moved out of the way. I was nimble, so I didn't fall.

"That wasn't funny!" I pouted.

"You're right...it was hysterical!"

"Now you're just being mean again!"

I always felt like a little kid when I was around him, which was god considering I was twenty eight and had grey hair already. He squatted down again and I jumped on his back, and this time he didn't move, and he ran around the throne room, making sputtering sounds and making me laugh like I was eight years again. He ran back into his room and told me to open up a drawer and grab some clothes, so I did without question, and we sped back into the throne room and he told Haskill we were leaving for the "swimming spot". It sounded like fun, so we ran out the door and to the small town of Hale. He waved at the denizens and talked to one Khajiit woman. She beckoned me over and Sheogorath explained that she would let me change in her house. He handed me the clothes he told me to fish out and I walked inside with the woman. It was actually a two piece bathing suit, so we were indeed going swimming which excited me. It was hot in the Isles today, so a swim would be lovely. I finished getting changed and walked outside where Sheo helped me tie up the back.

"Ready?" He asked.

He must have been wearing a bathing suit underneath because he was changed already, and I beamed wildly.

"Whenever you are."

He smiled and hoisted me up on a rock, which was _**VERY**_ high up from the water. I squealed in fear and clutched onto Sheogorath. He merely smiled and pushed me forward, in which case I cast a spell that would enable my feet to sink in the earth and remain there, unmoving.

"Don't be such a pansy," He complained, "It's not that bad."

"You go first." I protested.

"No way. How's about we go together?" He suggested.

I dispelled myself and stood up straight, looking at the scenery and sighed gently.

"Alright, we'll go together."

He smiled and grasped my hand tightly, and I looked out to the sea and smiled reluctantly. He looked at me and smiled warmly, moving a little closer to relax me.

"On the count of three." He whispered.

"One.." He started.

"Two.." I replied.

"THREE!" We screamed together and jumped, still holding on wildly for control. 

I screamed half out of fear and half out of excitement. When we hit the water with a painful splash, I lost Sheo's hand and sank to the bottom. I swam wildly to the surface, gasping for breath as Sheogorath laughed behind me.

"Wasn't that fun?" He asked, swimming closer to me.

"Yes it was." I replied and held his face in my hands.

He kissed me again, and it felt just as wonderful as it did the first time.


	13. Till Death Do Us Part

I screamed at Sheogorath as he jumped off the rock again and landed barely a foot from me. The waves sent me underwater and floating to the surface, gasping for air.

"Sorry." He chuckled as I tried to get water out of my nose.

"It's no big--"

I was cut off mid-sentence as I felt a sharp pain go through my ankle. I gasped as it hurt even more and started to tug. I looked underneath the water and saw a Slaughterfish having a field day with my foot. I grabbed onto Sheogorath and attempted to shake him off, but that only led to the water being colored red. Sheogorath led me onshore and I pulled my foot from the water. The Slaughterfish clung desperately to my foot, hoping for some kind of oxygen.

"Let it die." Sheogorath growled as I tried to put it back.

It fell off my foot and flopped for a while, almost begging for someone to throw him back in the water. I never liked Slaughterfish, but to watch it die like that just about broke my heart. Nothing deserved death. I would have continued on my philosophical rant if it weren't for the pain in my ankle.

"We'd better get home," Sheogorath said as the sun began to set, "I don't know how to treat your ankle."

I refused to talk to him until we got back to the palace. I couldn't call it home just yet.

"What happened now?" Haskill sighed as Sheo carried me in bridal style.

"Slaughterfish attack," I grumbled, "Don't even laugh."

As if Haskill could laugh anyway. Sheo called in the court healer and I was feeling better and able to walk in five minutes.

"Did you have fun at least?" Haskill asked.

"Yeah, a little."

"A little?" Sheogorath asked.

"Yeah, only a little."

"Why only a little?"

"Because you let that Slaughterfish die."

Sheogorath got up from his throne. I expected him to beat me half to death, but instead he merely put his hands on my shoulders and gripped them.

"It attacked you. It deserved to die."

"Nothing deserves to die Sheo." I whispered.

"Anything that attacks you deserves to die."

"Then what about you?"

At this point Sheogorath let go of my shoulders and stared at me. It was hard to read his expression, but it wasn't anger. I knew he wouldn't strike me this time. He looked to Haskill and walked over to him, mumbling in his ear and storming past me and out the door.

What had I done wrong? I went to Haskill and asked him where Sheo went.

"I can't tell you."

"Why not?"

"Because he doesn't want you to know."

Ah, figures. I went out the door and breathed in the cool night air, thinking of where Sheo might possibly go. There was the Gates of Madness, but without the Gatekeeper, why would he go? There was the possibility that he would go back to Hale, but that would be too easy for me to find out. I sighed and looked to the sky, noticing it was not a beautiful streak of hot pink, instead the sky was a deep red like in Dagon's realm of Oblivion. Haskill told me once that this meant Sheogorath was making another addition to the Isles and if I looked carefully enough I would be able to find a map in the sky. I stared at the sky for a few minutes and the stars began to align in a strange pattern. I quickly dug out my map and held it against the sky. A bright dot appeared over the Imean Sea near the entrance to the Isles and I quickly made my way there.

"Sheo?"

He spun around so fast, he must have been embarrassed. I was waist-deep in the water in all my clothes, I just wanted to know if he was alright.

"What are you doing here? How did you even know I would be here?" He asked, flustered that I had seen him at his work.

"Haskill said when you're adding to the Isles the sky turns red and a map appears as to where it's being added."

I tried to approach him but he backed away. It seemed that the roles were reversed; I was the attacker and Sheo was the victim. I felt my skirt rise slightly with the gentle swaying of the water and I gasped as I tried to push it back down. I heard a faint chuckle and Sheogorath supported himself on a tree he had recently created.

"And just what's so funny?" I exasperated.

"You're skirt is rising." He chuckled and stepped into the warm water. He waded over to me and held my skirt down.

I smiled and looked up at him. He was either really tall or I was really short. Maybe it a combination of the two? Or maybe neither?

"What did I say?" I whispered, avoiding his gaze.

"It's not what you said, it's what I did."

I held a hand to my chest, trying to catch my breath. He was admitting to his mistake?

"It's not your fault you have these mood swings Sheo. You're the Prince of Madness, it's what you do."

He strokes my hair softly, which was a little uncharacteristic of him. Then again, a lot of things were uncharacteristic for him. I wonder if he was feeling alright?

"Just know Layla, that I love you and nothing will change that. Not even the Greymarch."

I was confused at first, but Sheogorath was enigmatic, so it made sense I suppose. Why was he being sentimental all of a sudden? Was something bad going to happen so he wanted to get that off his chest before one of us dies? I pushed aside my morbid and melancholy thoughts and whispered,

"I love you too Sheo."


	14. Trouble

"Lay down." Sheogorath whispered.

I got down on my knees and laid on my back, my hands neatly resting on my stomach. Sheogorath joined me, laying down and staring at the now pink-streaked sky. I sighed gently and smiled.

"What's so funny?" He asked.

"Nothing, I just like being with you, that's all."

"Oh."

I wonder if he completely forgot what he just told me.

"Sheo, do you remember what you just told me?"

"Go make me a sandwich?"

"Umm..no.."

"Oh. Go make me a sandwich then! Chop chop!"

I laughed gently. Yeah, looks like he did. I stood up and brushed the dying leaves from my clothes and stepped into the water, wading my way back on shore. I looked back to Sheogorath, who clutched onto a tree, looking so forlorn.

"Aren't you coming back?" I called across the water.

"Not tonight. Just go home."

I balked slightly, but shook my head, making my way back to the palace.

--

"Hello Haskill." I greeted as I walked through the door.

"Where's Sheogorath?" He asked, noticing he wasn't on my back and kicking my sides for me to go faster.

"He's still on his little island thing, he's not coming home tonight."

Haskill sighed explosively. This was one of the few times where he showed emotion.

"Is there a problem?" I asked.

"Relmyna is here to see him. She won't believe me if I tell her."

"So I'll tell her." I chuckled and saw her standing impatiently by his throne.

She was a dunmer with bright orange hair tied into a messy bun. She looked at me with such contempt I could have killed her. I remember having to deal with her when I killed the Gatekeeper. All her nonsense with "He's my child!" and "You can't kill Sheogorath's child!" Ch, showed her wrong.

"Sheogorath isn't coming back tonight." I said sternly.

"And who are you say?" She spat.

"I just saw him a few hours ago. He said he isn't coming home."

"I suppose you're sleeping with him too?"

"Excuse me?!"

I was _not_ floozy! I watched as her hand glowed a bright red, and I remembered that she was a powerful sorceress, so I dived out of the way and into a fire column, dumping the embers all over me. I quickly patted the fire out on my arm and readied myself. All she used was spells, so I had a slight chance. My hand began to flicker with electricity as I cast a bolt of lightning at her, causing her to scream and fall to her knees. I walked over to her, sword still in hand, but she caught me surprise. She reared up and grabbed my ankle with her hand glowing a pale yellow. I immediately crumpled to the ground, clutching myself wildly. I heard the door open and watched as man in purple clothing proceeded to strangle Relmyna, actually lifting her off the ground.

"What have you done?" He said dangerously low.

"But Sheogorath! I--"

His grip tightened around her neck, causing her cough and gasp for air. I felt my insides burn and almost melt, so I screamed as loud as my voice would let me. Sheogorath dropped Relmyna and scooped me up in his arms, grunting from the heat radiating from my body.

"I will speak with you later Relmyna. This isn't finished."

With that, he carried me away.


	15. Work For It!

I writhed on Sheo's bed, throwing any blankets he gave me off.

"Her fever is terrible." I heard Haskill whisper.

"I _will_ figure something out. Layla will just have to hang in there."

I screamed as another burst of what felt like lava rushed through my veins. Sheogorath stood over me with a worried look on his face. Images and motion rushed before my eyes, so I rolled over and shut my eyes and became quiet. I watched as Sheogorath gripped my shoulders and he talked to me, though he was muted. He suddenly rose into the air and disappeared. I watched from the ceiling as I stepped back, completely in disbelief.

"What happens now?" Haskill whispered in awe.

"What happens now?" I screamed and whirred around, "Nothing changes! We still--"

"Layla Gallenus, get up, please!"

I couldn't identify the voice, so I merely groaned and writhed again. A female voice murmured in my personal darkness, but I was in too much pain to hear her. My body was so hot, I needed to take off these clothes. I needed to just…

**Die**.

Such a thought frightened me like nothing else. I've never felt the need to die before. If Relmyna hadn't stepped in, this would not be happening. If I could just get up and wring the life out of her..

Sheogorath might have already done that. Good for him.

I felt a cold rag touch my forehead and I sighed gently as it cooled my body. The bed went down slightly next to me, so someone was sitting down, but as to who I cannot tell. The rag then touched my cheeks and neck, and eventually my chest. I couldn't see at all. Was it dark? Or were my eyes closed? I blinked several times. I could feel the warmth of morning sunshine on my hand, so was I blind?

"Relmyna is she…blind?!" I heard a voice boom.

"Only temporary." A small voice answered.

"How long is temporary?"

"Not…entirely sure."

I moaned again as the cold rag touched my head. I heard a glimmer of magic not too far from me, but nothing happened.

"I cannot bring her out." A female voice said sadly.

Bring me out of what? I'm right here, aren't I? More images flickered past my eyes. This time it was a little more…intimate. I gasped audibly and would have laughed, had I been able too. The vision was Sheogorath and I in bed (you can use your imagination as to what we are doing!). More images. This time I'm crying in his arms, clutching his regalia tightly with bloody hands. I screamed about how could I have done something like this. Even more images flooded my eyes and blinded me. The last image I remember seeing was bouncing a cane into the palm of my hand. I awoke with a start, and judging by the surprised faces, I wasn't supposed to.

"Layla?" The man in purple whispered to me.

"Unh?"

"Do you know who I am?"

"Sheo?"

He sighed in relief. What did Relmyna do to me? I looked to her, but the look that she gave me would ten thousand kill. I wasn't going to get an answer out of her, so I would have to wait until Sheo felt like talking. I sat up and threw my feet over the bed. Relmyna stormed out of the room, and Haskill left, seeing as to how we needed a moment alone.

"Do you know what happened?"

"No idea." I replied.

"Relmyna showed you things of the future. Things that will inevitably happen."

"Oh my!" I chuckled, remembering one 'detailed' vision.

"What did you see?" He asked impatiently.

"I saw many things. For starters, we were talking and suddenly you floated, glowed then disappeared. Another was when I was clutching onto with blood stained hands, screaming. There were so many…"

"And what else?"

"There was…another intimate vision."

"And what was it?"

"Erm…we were…uhhh…you know."

Sheogorath waved his hands, indicating for me to go on. I leaned in close and whispered quietly in his ear.

"Mmmhmm…yes…oh really? That's great--I mean, that's odd. What position?"

His last question, of course, got him a slap across the face. He rubbed his cheek and picked me bridal style, spinning me around the room and occasionally dipping me towards the floor, which would earn a girl-like squeal from me. Sheogorath repositioned me so that I was resting on his hips with my legs wrapped around his waist.

"Tell you love me." I whispered gently.

"I love you." He immediately replied.

I leaned closer into his ear and whispered,

"Tell me you want me."

"I want you." He whispered back.

I leapt out of his grasp and walked away.

"Then you'll have to work for it, big guy!"


	16. Duchess of Dementia

Sheo seemed genuinely surprised at my answer. Nonetheless, he trailed behind me.

"How hard do I have to work for it?" He asked.

"Hard enough."

"How hard is hard enough?"

"Hard enough until I determine when you've worked hard enough."

He stopped for a moment, then grabbed my wrist, spinning me around. His eyes locked onto mine and I cold not escape.

"I truly am glad you're back." He whispered.

I hugged him tightly, and he lifted me off the ground.

"I'm glad to be back, dear."

He nodded, then a sad look crossed his face.

Before I could ask what was wrong, he explained to me.

"When you got back to the castle last night after seeing me, I was going to send you on another mission, except that was obviously pushed back, considering your condition."

"I'm fine Sheogorath. What needs to be done?"

His hands rested on his hips as he began to ask about the light in the chapel and if I had seen it.

"Um, no, can't say that I have."

"Exactly, because it has blown out in the time of the Greymarch! I don't need my people panicking now, so I need you to go to Cylarne and collect the flame of Agnon."

"Anything else I should be aware of?"

"Oh yes, my immortal servants are dedicating to serving me, and it can really be divine. Divinely tiresome. Just be careful, that's all I ask."

"Of course. I'm always careful."

He shook his head and sighed.

"I was afraid you would say something like that."

--

When I arrived in Cylarne, the Dark Seducers were on one side while the Golden Saints were on another. I introduced myself to both leaders and both explained that they were at war with the other and they needed my help to recapture Cylarne. I sighed, knowing this meant I had to pick a side. I decided to help the Dark Seducers, and made my way to speak with the leader, Ulfri.

"Can you find out about the Aureal's battle plans?"

"I can try." I replied tiredly and made my way across the courtyard.

I approached Kaneh and asked her of her plans. She explained she wanted to take the main entrance into the shrine. I explained this to Ulfri and she nodded, repositioning all her troops. I felt bad that I could possibly be leading hundreds of soldiers to their deaths, but it didn't matter anyway because everyone was immortal. They will simply be cast into the waters of Oblivion to await rebirth. I went back to Kaneh and told her I would lead her troops in. They followed quietly behind, and I could practically taste the trepidation in their sweat. They were right to be nervous, because I was leading them right into a trap. They realized my plan however, and began to attack me. I dived out of the way before they had a chance to seriously injure me. Kaneh raised her sword over my head and she grazed my shoulder before I had a chance to withdraw my own sword. We clashed for several minutes until my sword found her bare flesh and I slashed her deeply. She sank to her knees and spit blood onto my armor and I slit her throat, ending the battle between the Aureals and the Mazken.

"Thank you mortal," Ulfri called across the room, "Now I will sacrifice my own life to relight the flame. Take it back to New Sheoth and relight the flame!"

She walked into a pit and stabbed herself, falling over dead. Before I could have a reaction, the flame was relit. Mirel led me back to the surface to where the flame of Agnon stood burning. Mirel told me to walk in, and I reluctantly obeyed. I closed my eyes and walked in, feeling a cool air blow across the my skin. When I opened my eyes, I was engulfed in the flame! Without hesitation, I ran back to New Sheoth to continue my quest to end the Greymarch.

--

I returned to the Chapel and spoke to Sheogorath, who was surprised to see me.

"Now, you have to make a decision."

"Okay, I'm ready."

"You must become Duchess of Dementia or Mania. Choose carefully because there are no 're-do's'. This is permanent Layla, do you understand?"

"Of course," I replied carefully, "but won't the Duke or Duchess be upset if I take their place?"

He smiled.

"No, no, no, no, no! Well, yes, but that doesn't matter now. Go speak with the priests and pick a realm to rule."

I sighed and spoke to each one. In order to be Duchess of Mania, I had to poison Thadon's food, then take his blood and place it on the altar. To become Duchess of Dementia, I had to cut out Syl's heart and bring it to the altar. Either way, someone was going to die, and…

**Someone's blood will be on my hands.**

I considered my options for a minute, then took a deep breath and relit one fire.

--SHEOGORATH'S POV--

I sat down in a pew, balancing my cane between my legs, watching Layla make her decision. She looked back to me, and I gave her no hint to what she should rule. Her copper brown eyes flickered, and her body still glowed with the flame of Agnon. She considered her options carefully, then moved towards Dementia.

"Yes.." I whispered faintly as she relit the fires of Dementia.

It was settled then. Layla would become Duchess of Dementia, and she would later become me, Sheogorath, Prince of Madness.


	17. Deja Vu

The flame left my body and relit the fires of Dementia. I watched as the fires shot towards the sky with an eerie blue light. I shivered at the thought of killing Syl, but what must be done must be done. I looked to Sheogorath, who sat smiling and tapping his cane on the floor. My legs worked against me as I walked down the stairs slowly and next to him. My arms betrayed me too as they wrapped themselves around Sheogorath's neck. He chuckled and patted my back.

"You've done it," He cheered, "You'll be the new Duchess of Dementia."

"But Syl will have to die." I said, the hollowness of my voice etching every word.

"Yes, but she's lived long enough, don't you think?"

I didn't answer, instead merely stared down at my sweaty palms. I watched as they were soaked up to my elbows in blood, I held a heart wildly above my head. I clutched onto Sheo and whispered that I felt ill. He escorted me out and back to the palace, into his bed where I would forever stay.

"Are you feeling alright now?" He asked patiently.

I laid in the bed, ironically enough on the Dementia side of his split covers, with my arms laying neatly on my chest.

"No." I choked.

He approached me and gently stroked my hair. I turned away from him and buried my face in the pillow. He then firmly grabbed my hair and turned my face around. I knew that 'Nice Sheogorath' had gone on for far too long.

"What in the Isles is your problem?"

"Syl doesn't deserve to die."

"It's the initiation process. You chose Dementia, so you must kill Syl. Otherwise, you will die. The choice is up to you."

With that he pushed my head back down and stormed out of the door. I sat up a head ache tore through my skull and I clutched my head, closing my eyes and moaning slightly. The image of blood-stained hands and arms flickered past my eyes and I lost my breath. I've killed before, who couldn't I do it again? What if Syl had deserved to die? She betrayed her people, but sleeping with the Duke of Mania hardly counts as a reason to die. I flexed my hands and cracked my neck, standing up from the bed, placing my leather armor on and strapping my sword to my hip.

"Where are you going?" Haskill asked, chasing after me.

"To kill a certain woman who is impeding my progress here." I replied and threw the door open, walking out into the brisk dawn.

I walked over to the Dementia side of the palace because I didn't want to run into Sheogorath when he was in a bad mood. I walked in and she knew I was coming as no one was there. I walked down to her room and saw a body on her bed.

"What the hell?" I said, closely examining the body.

"It's merely a decoy." A voice said from behind me.

I quickly spun around, seeing that it was only Kithlan.

"I can see that." I replied and kicked the floor.

He beckoned me to follow him, so I obeyed and he lead me to a nearby Sheogorath bust. He pulled on it and the floor beneath it opened and a ladder leading into nothing appeared.

I smirked at Kithlan and climbed down the ladder and into the dark.

--

Syl!" I called out in the dank darkness.

Only my own voice echoing answered me. I sighed in frustration and groped about the cavern until I managed to find a torch.

"Prepare to die Syl." I whispered and ran through the labyrinth.

--

I walked carefully towards a well lit room, and found Syl and her trusty dark seducers. I chuckled at the thought of her death, and she heard me.

"Come out, traitor!"

"I hardly consider myself a traitor." I replied coyly, stepping from the shadows.

She drew a battle axe from across her back as her dark seducers drew out maces. Syl stepped back like a coward and let her dark seducers take care of me. I was an expert swordsman, so when one raised her mace too slowly and clumsily, I quickly drew my sword and stabbed her in the stomach before she could even hope to crush my skull. The other was in shock, but trained well enough to block my swing. Syl took the opportunity to swing at my exposed back. Luckily she's clumsy, so it left merely a scratch on my skin. I pushed the dark seducer away with my shield and slashed left and right at Syl, who blocked all my attacks. If I wasn't so rushed, this would be over by now. The hairs on the back of my neck stood at attention and I ducked, barely missing a blow to the head by a mace. I quickly spun around and slashed at her shins, calling her to fall to the floor, screaming in pain.

"Die, seducer!" I said cruelly as I cut her head off.

As my sword dripped with blood, I turned slowly to Syl, fire burning deep and hot beneath my eyes. She could see it as she backed up to the cavern wall, dropping her battle axe. My boots carried a new, heavier weight as I stomped towards her, holding my blade up. She turned around and scratched at the walls, screaming incoherently. I turned her around roughly and stabbed her through the abdomen, pinning her to the wall. She let out an inhuman cry of pain as I dug through my boot and retrieved a dagger, cutting her chest open as the blood sprayed onto my face and chest. Ignoring Syl's screams, I dug through her chest and ripped out her barely-beating heart and held it triumphantly over my head.

"So it is done, Syl." I said evilly as she slumped against the wall, dead.

My arms were covered up to the elbow in pure blood, and surprisingly, I didn't cry, scream or faint. Maybe the insanity of the Shivering Isles was finally catching up to me. I walked away from Syl's body after withdrawing my sword, letting the blood drain from her heart that I carried in my left hand. The beating finally died when I left the cavern.

--

I returned to the Sacellum, carefully cradling Syl's heart and placed it into the altar. I looked to Sheogorath, who seemed to be proud. So it was official. I was the new Duchess of Dementia, and everything will be fine from now--

"_STOP!!_" A voice screamed from the back of the room.

So much for everything being fine. I surprisingly identified the voice as being Thadon's. He screamed at Sheogorath that this wasn't fair that Syl was now dead and some outsider came to take her place. I was offended, but when I stepped forward to challenge Thadon to defend his claim, Sheogorath's arm draped across my chest to hold me back.

"Hold your tongue little Duke, or I will!"

Thank the Gods it wasn't me who was getting Sheo upset. Thadon's face became red as he screamed he was leaving to join Order during the Greymarch. He stormed out of the Sacellum, but when I moved to stop him, Sheogorath stopped me.

"Layla, let him go."

"Let him go?! He'll betray us all!"

"That may be, but he will be dealt with later. For now, I want you to have this."

He handed me an ornate ring, which was beautiful. The band and gem were pure onyx and it seemed to catch the light when I turned it.

"It's a ring of your lordship. Either wear it or keep it around you at all times, because it is a symbol of your title, and symbols are _very_ important."

"Of course Sheo, whatever you say."

I looked back at Syl's heart in the altar, and immediately all resolve I had when I killed Syl broke away. I collapsed onto Sheogorath and cried my eyes out, my hands and arms still covered with dried, caked blood.

"How could I have done this?" I screamed, clutching onto him tightly.

He sank me to the floor and stroked my hair, and it was all déjà vu.


	18. Growing Apart

The sight of caked blood underneath my fingernails made my stomach churn. I wanted to vomit, but my body would not allow it.

"You might want to wash up." Sheo whispered as he helped me up.

I stared down at my arms and gagged.

"You're probably right."

I went back to Sheo's room and filled a bowl with warm water. I dipped a cloth into and scrubbed up and down my arms until the cloth and the water ran bright red. I dumped the water out the window and refilled it, getting a new cloth and starting the process over again. I went through four bowls of water and three cloths before Sheo came in and leaned on the frame of the door, ticking his cane against the marble floor.

"If you have any hopes of surviving here in the Isles, then I'd suggest you shape up."

"I am shaped up." I defended, scrubbing my arms.

"You broke down over a wee bit of blood Layla. I hardly consider that 'shaped up'."

I remained silent and let the sloshing of the water calm my nerves. He was so right that it made me angry. I finally set the cloth down and clutched my head, knowing full well he was right and I was wrong, no matter how much I wanted to think the opposite.

"I know I need to shape up. I will get better about this, I swear."

Sheo nodded, but said nothing and turned around and left the room, leaving me stranded with a bowl of pale red water and a red cloth. I threw the cloth across the room and threw the entire bowl out the window, hearing smash on the ground below me. I laid down on the floor and jumped slightly from the cold. I stared at the ceiling and wondered of what Martin might think of me at the moment. I closed my eyes tight and tried to remember his face, his voice and the way he smelled, but nothing came.

"What would you do in my position?" I asked aloud.

"I would get off the floor first."

I sat up and noticed Haskill in the next room, poking about. I stood up and shook myself off, going into the bedroom.

"What are you doing here?"

"For the same reason you are."

"Washing off blood?"

"Heavens no! Relaxing."

"In Sheo's room?"

"Precisely."

"Oh."

I sat on the bed and amazed by the sudden softness it held. I laid myself down and before I knew it, I was sound asleep.

--

"You have your own quarters now."

I jumped slightly and looked around. I had fallen asleep and lost complete track of the time. I looked in the lighted doorway and saw that it was Sheo leaning against the door frame again.

"You don't want me here anymore?"

"I'm just saying you have your own quarters now."

I swung both legs over the bed and stood up, clutching to the post for support. I walked out of the room and into the Dementia side of the castle, which was a little eerie and made me cringe. I remembered the duty I had here now however, and straightened up. This was step one to growing a thicker skin. I had to get through this place without freaking out. I went outside and smelled the heavy scents of alocasia fruits in the air and sighed. A few Dark Seducers reluctantly smiled at me. They were still upset at me for killing their mistress for sure.

Too damn bad. I was their mistress now whether they liked it or not.

I went downstairs into my own quarters, which weren't bad now that there wasn't a dead body on the bed. I checked the sheets to make sure that they had been changed, and thank the heavens they had been. I walked over to the wardrobe and opened it, seeing a variety of clothing everywhere from pajamas to evening wear. I pulled out a deep purple silk night gown and stripped off my old clothing and slid it over my pale, small frame. I sighed as I pulled my grey hair out from a ponytail and climbed underneath the covers, digging around for a book.

"Didn't this woman ever read?" I mumbled to myself as I fell off the bed looking underneath for a book.

"Maybe Sheo has one." I said aloud again and climbed out of bed.

Wait a minute. Would I really want one of his books? It might be something weird like, "How To Cook A Baby In 10 Minutes" or "Killing Minions For Dummies". I decided it couldn't be that bad and put on a bathrobe and went back into the castle and back into Sheo's room. I dim candle was lit over his head, and to my surprise he was reading.

"Can I help you?" He sighed.

"I was just looking for a book to read."

"Doesn't Syl have anything?"

I shook my head and he sighed, going back to his book and waving his hand toward a bookcase.

"Dig around, I'm sure you'll find something."

I smiled and grabbed a candle, using his to light my own. I squatted down and gazed over the various titles. He had all the volumes of the Biography of the Wolf Queen, A Brief History of the Empire, and The Real Barenziah. I was floored, considering these were all books that had to do with Tamriel.

"How did you acquire such a collection?" I asked, digging through two shelves.

"I collect them. Sometimes people who wander here bring them, and I tend to keep them."

I nodded and grabbed Darkest Darkness and Thief of Virtue, two books that I had at least four copies of when I was staying at Cloud Ruler Temple. Martin used to scoff at me, but I destroyed books on many occasions, so it was always good to keep a few extra copies around.

"Thank you Sheo." I said and turned to leave.

"Wait!"

"Yes?"

"Don't you want to stay?"

I blew out my candle and the flicker from Sheo's reading candle barely illuminated the smoke blowing around my face.

"I have my own quarters now, as you said."

He looked at me for a moment more, and went back to his book.


	19. Here Comes the Bride

I climbed back into bed and relit my candle with a fire spell. I relaxed and opened Thief of Virtue, sighing as I began to read.

--

_With that Ravius set down the coins he had worked so hard to steal. The Baroness swooned into his arms. When the captain of the guard asked to search her quarters, she hid Ravius most skillfully. She turned over the coins, claiming the thief dropped them when he fled out the window. _

_With that sacrifice made, Ravius steeled himself for the second. He robbed the lady Veronique of her virtue that night. He robbed her of it several times, lasting well into the wee hours of the morning. Exhausted, yet sated, he stole away in the pre-dawn hours._

I closed my book and sighed in frustration that I was still not tired. I reached for Darkest Darkness when I heard light footsteps outside my door.

"Who are you?" I demanded.

"I wouldn't try to kill you."

It was Haskill. I was a little disappointed, hoping it would be Sheogorath.

"I didn't say you would. Why are you here?"

"To ask you what's happening to Sheogorath."

"Well, I was going to ask you in the morning. I don't know either."

We stayed silent for a while. I rested my hands on my stomach, waiting for him to explain what Sheo's problem is, but he never said a word.

"So what's Sheo's problem?"

"I see many problems, but what do you see?" He asked.

"Well, for starters, he's very distant. Then, all of a sudden, he wants to cuddle and be loved. I understand he's the Daedric Prince of Madness, but he could try to be a little normal."

"No, he couldn't and you know it." Haskill sighed.

I smiled, knowing it was true. I loved Sheogorath…or at least I think I do. As close as loving a Daedric God comes, anyway. We remained silent for some time until my breathing became faster and I felt light-headed.

"Haskill." I moaned and sat up.

He cocked an eyebrow at me and I clutched my head, watching Haskill's face and the layout of my room melt and disappear as the layout of the throne room came into view. Sheogorath sat at his throne, twiddling and playing with his cane.

"Good morning Sheogorath!"

--HASKILL'S POV--

Layla was acting strange. She said my name, clutched her head in pain, and now she was fine! She got out of bed with a smile on her face and approached me.

"Good morning Sheogorath!" She said cheerfully, looking past me.

"Who are you talking to?" I asked, looking around.

No one was in the room but us. There was no sign of Sheogorath.

"OH DAMN IT ALL TO OBLIVION!"

I looked behind me and saw Sheogorath fade out of an invisibility spell. He walked down the hallway cursing under his breath.

"How did you know I was there?!" He asked Layla.

She chuckled.

"Oh Sheo, you always know how to lighten the mood!"

"I do?" Sheogorath asked.

"Ohh, I love you too!"

She leaned forward and kissed air. Something was really wrong here.

"I'm over here Layla. And I didn't say I love you."

She ignored him and walked forward, clutching onto air and walking outside.

"What's her problem?" Sheogorath asked.

"I don't know sir, I was hoping you would know."

"Well, I don't. And what were you doing down here with her? Alone?"

"I was just having a wonderful conversation with Layla. What were you doing down here? And with an invisibility spell?"

"I was hoping to see her naked." He said bluntly.

I didn't even bother to ask. I sighed and slapped my cheek, going outside to make sure Layla wouldn't hurt herself.

--NORMAL POV--

"Will you come out into the garden with me?" Sheo asked.

(AN: Remember, still her 'dream world')

"Of course I will." I replied, clutching his arm and walking into the Dementia side of the palace.

It was dark outside, and the trickling sound of a waterfall sounded artificial. I knew this was an effect of Relmyna's spell, but I couldn't bring myself to come out of it. Some things seemed so real, so pristine..

"I must ask a serious question Layla. Please sit." Sheogorath started, sitting on a rock and patting the empty spot next to him.

I crossed my ankles and looked down, noticing I was in the same garb as Syl would often wear. A big dress with spikes for a collar, and snake heads for sleeves. I had always secretly admired her outfit. Sheogorath fumbled with his fingers, trying to figure out a way to ask his question without sounding like a complete fool.

"Just say it Sheo." I sighed, becoming impatient.

"Marry me Layla. Marry me and become the Goddess of Madness. Be my queen Layla, because together we can--"

Sheogorath's sincere face burned away and I found myself in Sheogorath's arms in the garden. He patted my face gently, then firmly grabbed it when he saw I was awake.

"What the hell happened?" He asked, half in shock, half in anger.

"You…you just asked me to--"

"I didn't ask you a damn thing! You were running around here, talking to yourself!"

So I was right. This was an effect of Relmyna's spell, and I was beginning to become used to it. I could relax and take one vision at a time, and this one frightened me.

Apparently I was to be the bride of Sheogorath.


	20. Taking Back the Fringe

Sheogorath put me back into his bed and attempted to walk away, but not before I tugged on his shirt to stop him.

"Sheogorath, do you love me?"

He stared at me, then waved Haskill out of the room. He sat next to me on the bed and I sat up, touching his shoulder gingerly.

"You know I do, but you worry me Layla."

"But these visions aren't my fault!" 

"I didn't say they were."

I remained silent until Haskill walked back into the room.

"I'm terribly sorry to interrupt, but it seems that Order has taken over the Fringe."

Sheogorath jumped up, but not before I did. I strapped on my armor and sharpened my sword. Sheo didn't say a word, even when I grabbed my shield. I looked up to him, but I couldn't read his expression. I didn't waste time with goodbyes, or I-love-yous or any such nonsense like that, no matter how much I wanted to.

--

When I arrived in the Fringe, it was grey and bleak. It didn't look like there was one survivor here.

"The Gatekeeper would have been useful right now." I said aloud as a Golden Saint ran towards me.

"I'm afraid I must ask you to leave. The Fringe is currently--"

"Under attack, and as the Duchess of Dementia, I am here to end it." I growled.

"Your Grace! Forgive me, I had no idea."

"You can apologize later, what's happened so far?"

"All of my female fighters are dead, it's just me and the clumsy male fighters left. We can't hold out for much longer Your Grace, they just keep coming wave after wave."

"Alright, relax. Let's position your fighters better, and see what we can do."

She nodded and I assumed temporary command of her troops. As I expected, one was determined to give me a hard time.

"And who are you to make such demands?" He spat.

"As commander of this troop and Duchess of Dementia, that's who make such demands. Now get out your sword and move your ass to the front lines."

I positioned three to the front with swords and axes, and three to the back with arrows, including Aurig Desha. I watched as a wave of Knights came towards us.

"Fire!" I cried to the archers.

A hail of arrows flew over my head as the melee attackers took on the oncoming Knights of Order. Everything seemed to go smoothly when Aurig approached me.

"They must be drawing power from Xeddefen. You should knock out the power before we lose the Isles!"

I sighed and ran to Xeddefen, opening the stone doors and finding very little light inside. I grabbed a stick in the corner and using a fire spell to light it. It was dark and damp, with very little light to work with. After fighting a few Priests of Order, I ran into Shelden, of all people.

"Shelden? What the hell are you doing here, are you aware that the Fringe has fallen?"

"Layla, boy am I glad to see you! I ran into Xeddefen when it all started. Let me come with you, there's a giant obelisk in the next room, I'll distract the Priests while you overload the obelisk with the Hearts of Order."

"Sounds like a plan." I sighed and drew out my sword.

I took a heart from my pack and rolled it in my fingertips as Shelden brushed past me and screamed and waved at the Priests to chase him. It sort of worked until I got close to the Obelisk with the heart, when there was another Priest waiting for me. I rolled sideways and got the heart close to the Obelisk where it let out a faint purple light in my fingertips and a bolt of lightning shot through the obelisk. I rolled forward with my sword and stabbed the priest in the stomach, tearing out its heart and tossing it near the Obelisk where another bolt of lightning shot through it.

"Shelden!" I screamed.

No answer.

"Shelden!"

I ran around the corner where Shelden was cornered by three priests. I tossed him a sword and we clumsily took out the remaining three, tearing their hearts out and placing them near the obelisk. It finally shut down, but Xeddefen was coming down around our ears. Shelden was hit on the head with a rock and I was hit in the shoulder, dislocating it. I was forced to drop my torch, resheath my sword, swing Shelden over my good shoulder, and stumble through the dark without a sword or light. We eventually made it out where Aurig waited for me.

"Your Grace, you've done it! There are no more Knights of Order around, you've shut down Xeddefen!"

"I tried my best." I panted and laid Shelden down, right when he was coming around.

He stood up and fell back down again. I got down on one knee and placed my hand on his shoulder.

"You were hit pretty hard my friend. You may want to stay down for a while, an thank you for all your help."

He sputtered and fell back, talking of strawberries and grass clippings. Aurig didn't need to tell me twice, it was time to see Sheogorath.

--

"Stay still my Lady." The Court Healer sighed and popped my arm back into place.

Sheo stood in the door frame with his arms crossed.

"Maybe I shouldn't ask you to do anything anymore. You always come back injured, and before I know it, you'll come back without a head!"

"Oh stop," I replied with a wince and rolled my shoulder, "I'm a big girl Sheo, I can do this with a scratch or two."

He leaned down and kissed my forehead, then drew back, crossing his arms once more. Before I could ask what was wrong now, he retrieved a vial off my counter that I hadn't noticed before and stood over me, uncorking the bottle.

"Open your mouth, close your eyes and I'll give you something that will make you wise."

Trusting Sheogorath, the Daedric Prince of Madness, was mistake number one. Mistake number two was actually opening my mouth. He poured this horrible, vile tasting liquid down my throat that tasted like dead Grummite wrapped in Elytra droppings, rolled in lake scum. I suppressed my gag reflex to the best of my abilities while Sheo stood over me, laughing as my face turned green.

"What's so funny?" I gagged.

"You mean other than your face. Ah, I'm sorry mavourneen, you're running a fever. Hopefully, this will make it better."

"Yeah, maybe if it wasn't made by Relmyna!"

"Ha, funny story about that.."

I glared at him with great animosity. He sighed and sat next to me, rubbing my head gently.

"You know I can't make potions worth--"

"Doesn't mean you have to ask Relmyna to do it! I might die! She hates me!"

"And I know you hate her too, but you're both going to have to get over that damn quick, because you're both going to be working together in order to rebuild my gatekeeper."

"But Sheo--"

"Not another word." He said dangerously low, touching my lips with his finger.

He kissed my forehead gently and smiled, laying me back in bed.

"Relmyna didn't poison you, your fever is coming down. Now get some sleep dear, you've got a big day ahead of you tomorrow."

I kissed his lips softly and he left the room, closing the door on his way out and leaving me with the empty feeling of blue candelabras.


	21. Rebuilding the Damn Gatekeeper

I sat up in the bed for the rest of the night, never being able to sleep. I couldn't find a comfortable position and it was getting so unbearably hot. I leapt out of bed and wrapped myself in a light blue robe, opening the door and feeling the cool night air wrap itself around my body. I sat down in the garden and listened to the quiet trickle of the small water fountain when I heard a rustle behind me. Before I could turn around, firm, cold hands were placed on my shoulders to keep me in place.

"How are you feeling?" It was Sheogorath.

"Hot, sick, and I haven't slept at all. What are you doing up?"

"I rarely sleep. Plus, knowing you're up doesn't help matters." He replied, sitting next to me.

I buried my head in my hands, feeling another vision coming on. To describe the feeling is near impossible. It's almost as if you're going to vomit, but you try to prevent it from happening, but you know it can't happen. It's like my body would ignite itself, and then cools down, then I would become sick, and I would be in an artificial world, walking around like an idiot to anyone on the outside. I closed my eyes and when I reopened them, I was in the garden alone, wearing a purple dress with a cane in my hand. A young man bearing some of Sheogorath's features walked outside and took a seat next to me. I stared straight ahead, tapping my cane on the ground softly.

"Today's the day, isn't it," He asked softly, "Dad died fourteen years ago today, didn't he?"

I sighed gently and rolled the cane along the ground, watching the trail it made.

"Yes he did, and today is your birthday my love." I sighed and wrapped my arm around him, kissing his head gently.

"Why did he die when I was only one mom? Why couldn't he have stuck around longer?"

"I told you already, I'll tell you when you're old—"

"Enough to comprehend," he finished then bitterly added, "I know. I think I comprehend it. I think he abandoned us."

Dawn was breaking now as I awoke in my bed, wondering how I had gotten here. Did I have a dream of a dream? I stumbled out of bed when Sheogorath walked in the door, supporting me with his arm.

"What happened?" I asked in a daze.

"You had another vision. Of what, I have no idea, but it sounded important."

"I don't want to talk about it." I retorted and fell back into bed.

I could still feel his presence in the room when it suddenly turned cold. I buried myself underneath the blankets, but I could still feel Sheogorath standing there, staring at me. I rolled over to ask him why he was staring at me, but he was gone.

--

I don't remember actually falling asleep, but when I woke up I could see the sunlight shining through the open door. I got dressed and went into the throne room where Sheogorath stood, balancing his cane on his palm and talking quietly with Haskill. All eyes shifted to me as I walked down the stairs and Sheo put his cane down, turning his attention towards me. I knew what this meant and there was no hope of avoiding it.

"Oh good you're up," Sheo started, "I have an important mission for you."

"I know, I have to rebuild the damn Gatekeeper. No need to tell me." I growled.

"Why so snappish?" He asked.

"Why do you think? You know my relationship with Relmyna and how much she hates me! How do you know she won't try and kill me?"

"Because she knows better than to disobey my command. Now shoo! The more we speak, the more chance there is of the Grey March destroying everything I worked so hard to create!"

I sighed and holstered my shield over my shoulder as Haskill marked down Relmyna's lair on my map. Chances are she won't let me in that easily, so I should be well prepared. I went down to my room and gathered a few potions and swords, making my way out the door. It was still early yet, so I figured if I set out now, I'll be there by mid-afternoon. A figure blocked my path as I tried to leave.

"Just be careful," It was Haskill, "I don't know what her plans are for you and neither does Sheogorath."

"He couldn't tell me himself? What an ass." I mumbled.

I left the safety of the castle and was on my way to see Relmyna. I didn't care what she had in store for me, because I'll be ready when that bitch wants to tango.


	22. Friends? Maybe?

I opened the tomb door with all my strength. It was dark inside, so I lit a torch with a small fire spell. My breath caught in my throat, the air was thick as mud down here. The air smelled of death, and even worse I smelled burning flesh. I ventured forward a little more, my footsteps echoing off the hallowed, dark walls. As I continued, the smell of burning flesh knocked me to my knees and I began to vomit. I heard a clanking and moaning sound, but when I picked up my head I saw something quite disturbing. It looked like a superhuman who had been stitched together from different body parts. I scrambled for my weapon, but the creature simply roared and slammed his giant fist on my head, knocking me out cold on the ground.

--

"Oh dear, I was afraid that you had killed her. She's been out for weeks."

I hissed between my teeth as I immediately recognized that hideous voice. I tried to move, but something was keeping me down. I picked my head up slightly to see that I was locked down my iron clasps, with my stomach stitched closed. I panicked at first, trying to writhe my way out of the clasps, but nothing budged. I tried desperately to remember a spell I had been practicing to turn my body to water, but I remember I could only get as far as my hands. Relmyna stepped closer with a dagger in her dark blue hand just as I freed one hand and sat up awkwardly.

"Oh my dear, just what are you going to with one hand?" She taunted.

She may have been a better sorceress than I could ever hope to be, but that wouldn't keep me from trying. I hurled fireballs in her direction, but she lazily deflected every one. I couldn't use two spells at once, so I tried again to turn my hand to water, cursing that I couldn't do it when it mattered most. Luckily, my entire arm turned to water just as Relmyna attempted to stab it. I gave my arm a shake and it melted back into flesh, but was disappointed to see that my ankles were still locked down. I tried pulling them out until I thought my legs would pop off, but nothing happened. I couldn't wait for a miracle to happen, so I began hurling fireballs at one lock while Relmyna simply laughed distastefully.

"Silly girl, your spells are not nearly hot enough to melt the iron!"

"Then I suggest you give me the key. Now." I growled.

I wasn't expecting her to hand it over easily, so I had to think quickly. I didn't want to seem like a tattling child by threatening her with Sheogorath's rage, but it was the best I could do for now.

"Sheogorath will be hearing of this if you do not let me free."

She laughed again.

"How will he know considering you're locked down? Silly girl." She cackled with that disgusting voice of hers and drove the dagger deep into my thigh.

The sound that came out of my throat could barely be considered human. She smiled and walked away with her somewhat-human catastrophe that hit me on the head earlier. First things first, I had to remove this dagger before my skin grew around it. I placed both hands on it weakly, my stomach was sore from whatever she had done. I slowly removed the dagger from my leg, wincing and biting my tongue to keep from screaming. Blood squirted slightly from the wound, so I cupped my hand, and using it as a cup I poured some of it onto my ankle. I worked the blood on my foot and pulled hard until it slid out. I did the same process for my other leg and managed to get that one out with a tug as well. I reached under my armor and cut a piece of fabric with the knife I took from my leg and wrapped my wound. I limped into the next room which was bright with light from torches along the wall. Relmyna stood in front of a cage with a book in her hands, whispering something that made the person in the cell scream with agony.

"Relmyna, stop this."

It took all my strength to simply utter those three words. She turned to me with fire in her eyes, slamming her book shut. My entire body was beyond in pain, my stomach was cut open, I had a deep stab wound in my right leg, I was losing blood fast. This wasn't brave, this was completely foolish. I collapsed to my knees and fought to keep consciousness. For once, Relmyna's laugh actually came in hand. She dropped to my level and her eyes were almost glowing as she waved her hand ever so slightly. Suddenly, the pain was gone from my body and I felt…normal. The cloth around my leg was no longer deep red.

"Illusion spells can do far more damage than you could ever hope to do physically."

I didn't take time to go over what was happening, I simply tackled her to the ground and stood over her with the same dagger that was no longer caked with blood. Her flesh abomination roared once again and raised its giant fist, but it never came down on me. Relmyna held up her hand to stop the beast, and she was smiling wickedly. I quickly stepped off her, never letting my guard down as she brushed herself off.

"We cannot waste more time, I know you were sent by Sheogorath." She said bitterly.

"Yes I was, I would have told you this but you were far too busy torturing me."

"I could not have passed up on the opportunity." She laughed gently.

--

After a few menial tasks, Relmyna asked me to gather the body parts I wanted to use for the new Gatekeeper. Time was growing short, so I picked an armored head, a torso, a mace hand, legs and a heart. Relmyna explained the importance of the body parts I had chosen, and we quickly made our way to the gate, with her explaining that there are six elements, the last one being flesh, all the way there. When we arrived, she opened a portal in the center, which I thought was a mere ornate circle. She chanted and instructed me to place the body parts into the pool. I tossed in the head, arm and dragged the torso and legs in. Lastly, I tossed in the heart which seemed to beat in my hand.

"Now step back!" Relmyna called over the roar of thunder above us.

I stood next to her as her chanting became louder and louder, and the color of the pool was beginning to turn purple. Relmyna's hands began to glow as she cast a spell onto the pool and it turned an ugly flesh color. Relmyna took one step back, covering her head and holding her ground. I looked at her strangely, but the pool exploded and I was thrown backwards down the stairs. For once, I was knocked unconscious as Relmyna smiled warmly down on me and teleported me back to Sheogorath's castle.


End file.
